Melody Davis: Finding Joy in Saying ‘Yes’ to God’s Call for Me to Serve in South Africa

Melody Davis, a student at Texas A&M University, discovered joy in saying “yes” to God’s invitation to serve as a semester missionary in South Africa.

I have never been happier in my life than I am right now. This semester, the Lord has taught me how much joy is found when we say “yes”—no matter what, where, or who He is calling us to serve.

If you had told me two years ago I would take a semester off to be a missionary at Restoring Hope Village in South Africa, I would have laughed in your face. But here I am, about to finish a semester of service in South Africa. I had my own plans, but the Lord knew exactly where I needed to be. And it has been the best semester of my life.

The past year has been full of pushing against God, trying to make my own plans work. First, I was called to serve for a semester. Then I said “yes” to going on a trip that I did not really want to go on. There was even a time when I considered saying “no.” But I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, the Lord was telling me to spend a semester in South Africa, so I took a step of faith—and here I am.